Multiple throw coin receiver



May 20, 1958 R. L. CARE MULTIPLE THROW COIN RECEIVER Filed March 15, 1955 INVENTOR. zz'azmr 2/2,, By M 1326b Unite rates Patent MULTIPLE THROW colN RECEIVER Richard L. Care, Rumford, R. I., assignor to Max L. Grant, Providence, R. I.

Application March 15, 1955, Serial No. 494,362

Claims. (Cl. 232-7) This invention pertains generally to receivers for fare boxes and the like and more specifically to coin and ticket receivers of the multiple throw variety.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of a multiple throw receiver wherein coins are quickly and effectively positioned for arcuate and rapid visual inspection.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a multiple throw receiver wherein coins are effectively scattered thereby eliminating shingling or overlapping thereof.

Another object is the provision of improved means for releasing coins and tickets from an inspection area.

Still another object is the provision of a receiver which is adapted to receive tickets as well as coins.

A further object is the provision of a receiver which will prevent surreptitious manipulation or fishing.

A further object is the provision of a receiver wherein no appreciable jamming can occur.

Another object is the provision of a multiple drop coin and ticket receiver which is rapid and eificient in operation, simple and economically feasible to manufac ture, and yet durable of construction.

1 in the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

Fig. l is a side elevation in section of the coin receiver with the inspection plate in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation in section of the coin receiver with the inspection plate in open position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inspection plate utilized in this invention; and- Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the baffle assembly.

,The provision of adequate fare receiving means has long been a problem in the coin handling art where an operator controls movement of a barrier, or admission of a patron in some other manner, responsive to the proper fare being deposited. Heretofore, the common practice has been for fares such as coins to be singly inserted,

whereupon they gravitate down to an inspection area for visual inspection by the operator. This, however, has been found to be unsatisfactory from a time standpoint, particularly in crowded subways and the like where long lines are likely to form while the operator waits for individual coins of a fair to descend. In an effort to overcome this disadvantage, multiple throw receivers have been utilized, or more specifically, receivers having a relatively large drop inlet whereby a plurality of coins or tickets may be simultaneously inserted. Use of the multiple throw receiver, however, has presented the art witha new problem, namely how to quickly and effectively clear the deposited fare for rapid visual inspection of each separate fare. Where the coins of a fare are funnelled from the drop inlet to a chute, jamming frequently occurs, and where they are dropped on to a Hat plate of some sort,'they either shingle or else completely obscure one another, thus making accurate and rapid visual inspection ditficult, if not impossible.

I have therefore devised a construction which scatters the coins of a deposited fare over an inspection area so as to permit full inspection, the coins then being released as "hereinafter explained.

"ice" Referring to the drawings, and more specifically to Fig. 1 thereof, the improved coin receiver is designated 10 and comprises a receiver base 12 with a substantially vertical rear wall 14, sloping side walls 16 and 18, and a relatively short front wall 20. Receiver base 12, which may be a casting of any desired metallic material, is open at its bottom and is adapted to be secured to a supporting surface 22 by any known conventional means (not shown), the surface 22 having an opening 24 therein which is substantially continuous with the bottom of the receiver base. As will be apparent from Fig. 1, the receiver base sides generally take the form of a right triangle and the face is open along its hypotenuse surface. At its apex, there is formed a transversely extending top portion 26 which provides an inwardly extending, downwardly inclined coin impact surface 28, the function of which will hereinafter be made apparent.

Mounted on the receiver base, and secured thereto as by screws 30 is a transparent body member 32, substantial ly square in cross-section and open at its top and bottom.

.Secured to the top of body member 32, which is horizontal when mounted in position, as by screws 34 is a top rim 36, preferably a casting, which defines a drop inlet 38. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the drop inlet 38 is of relatively large area and accordingly is capable of receiving a number of coins simultaneously. Extending inwardly from the upper portion of the front wall 40 of body member 32 is a downwardly inclined bounce plate 42 which is preferably of plastic such as Lucite or the like. Bounce plate 42 extends inwardly a little more than one-half way across body member 32 and its inner edge is in substantial vertical alignment with the inner edge of surface 28. As illustrated, the front wall of the body member is larger than the rear wall, and the sides are shaped to conform to the receiver base.

Hinged to the lower surface of top portion 26 as at 44 is an inspection plate 46, which is preferably metallic and is shown in detail in Fig. 4. When in closed position, see

, Fig. l, the lower edge of inspetcion plate 46 bears against face of the receiver base, thereby providing an inspection channel 50 which is normally of gradually decreasing height, or in other words, a wedge-shaped channel. The glass view panel 48 extends from the lower portion of front wall 40 of the transparent body member to front wall 29 of the receiver base and is supported by the side walls 16 and 1.8. As will be apparent from Fig. 1, the entrance height of channel 50 is considerably less than the diameter of a coin or a token.

While it will be understood that the inspection plate 46 is normally maintained in closed position with respect to the fixed view panel and may be manipulated to open position in various and divers ways, a preferred form of control means will now be described. Mounted on the lower side of supporting surface 22, and substantially surrounding opening 24 is a chute top bracket 52 which in turn carries or communicates with a downwardly extending chute 54. A shaft 56 is rotatably mounted across the chute 54 and has a baffle plate 58 fixedly mounted thereon as by ears 60. Secured to bathe plate 58 in any desired way is a bracket 62 which carries a roller 64. One end of shaft 56 extends through the wall of chute 54 and has secured to its outer end a link 66 which is pivotally connected as at 68 to an arm 70.

In Fig. 1 it will be noted that roller 64 of the baffle plate 58, is bearing against the inspection plate 46 and maintaining it in closed position. Upon actuation of arm 70 forwardly, by any desired means, either by an operator or by some mechanism actuated by a passenger, it will be obvious that shaft 56 will turn in a clockwise direction thereby causing the upper end of the baflle plate to move back whereupon the inspection plate drops open by g avity (Fig. 3). It willfurther be noted that when the inspection plate is closed, the lower end of the baffle plate is open for passage of fares into the chute, but when the inspection plate is ,open, entry to the lowerportion of chute 154 is blockedby the baffle plate. This renders fishing or surreptitious removal of coins virtually impossible,

Inoperation and use, when a plurality of coins are simultaneously thrown into the dr-opinlet 38, some will first strike the bounce plate 42. From bounce plate 42 the coins are directed to and hit against impact surface 28; thus, in -effect,-they are subjected to a double bounce or impact. The result of this double impact is to cause the coins to separate and to scatter so that as they commence to descend down inspection plate 46, they will not be shingled or positioned one on top of the other. Furthermore,'the double bounce automatically causes the coins to tend to slide down the inspection plate, although should a;coin happen to strike surface 28 andthen roll down the inspection plate, it would strike the edge of glass panel 48, which impact would cause it to assume a flat position whereby it would enter channel 50. For this reason it is important that the entranceheight of channel 59 be less than the diameter of a small coin.

As the coins slide down the inspection plate, they enter channel 50 which due to its decreasing height, holds back thicker coins like nickels and permits thinner coins like dimes and pennies to descend further, thereby further separating the coins. Due to the combination of bounce plate 42, impact surface 28 .and wedge shaped channel 50, the coins are rapidly and effectively scattered over the inspection area, whereby the operator, looking through the glass panel 48, can quickly see that the proper fare has been deposited.

When arm 70 is actuated forwardly, the inspection plate drops to open position, and the coins drop down into chute 54 where they are temporarily retained by the bafiie plate 58. It is important to note here that the rapid and wide opening movement of the inspection plate enables the fares to quickly descend from the inspection area without any possibility of jamming. Also, the fact that the inspection plate is hinged behind the entrance to channel 50 enables quick alleviation of any jamming that might, by chance, occur at said entrance. Upon return of the inspection plate to closed position, the baffle plate will open, as aforedescribed, and the coins then continue down chute 54. It will be understood that chute 54 can be connected to any one of a variety of fare collecting devices (not shown). For example, itcan direct the fares to a lock box, if desired, or on the other hand, it can carry the fares to suitable registering or counting mechanism. Also, since my receiver is adapted to receive tickets as well as coins, chute 54 may be associated with a coin ticket machine for separating the coins and tickets, and for registering the separated coins if desired.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coin and ticket receiver for fare collection devices comprising a receiver. base, a hollow body member mounted thereon, a relatively large drop inlet at the upper portion of said body member for receiving a plurality of fares simultaneously, an inspection channel in said receiver base comprising a pair of converging plates, said plates being spaced apart near their convergent end a distance less than the thickness of a small coin whereby the extent of movement of a coin within said inspection channel will be determined by the thickness of the coin, an inwardly extending, downwardly inclined bounce I plate carried by the upper portion of said body member and extending partially thereacross, and a fixed oppositely inclined impact plate carried by said receiver base and underlying said body member, whereby inserted fares will be subjected to a double bounce thus causing them to separate for rapid visual inspection.

2. A coin and ticket receiver for fare collection devices comprising a receiver base, a hollow body member mounted thereon, a relatively large drop inlet at the upper portion of said body member for receiving a plurality of fares simultaneously, an inclined inspection plate carried by said receiver base and underlying said body memher, and a view panel overlying the lower portion of said inspection plate and forming therewith a wedge-shaped channel of decreasing height, the lower end of said channel being of less height than the thickness of a thin coin whereupon fares dropping on to said inspection plate will slide down into said channel for a distance corresponding to the thickness of the respective fares.

3. A coin and ticket receiver for fare collection devices comprising a receiver base, a hollow body member mounted thereon, a relatively large drop inlet at the upper portion of said body member for receiving a plurality of fares simultaneously, an inspection plate carried by said receiver base and underlying said body member, an inwardly extending, downwardly inclined bounce plate carried by the upper portion of said body member and extending partially thereacross, and an oppositely inclined impact plate carried by said receiver base and underlying said body member whereby descending coins are subjected to a double bounce and thereby separated before coming to rest on said inspection plate, and a panel overlying the lower portion of said inspection plate and forming'therewith a wedge shaped channel of decreasing height, the lower end of said channel being of less height than the thickness of a thin coin whereby the extent of movement of a coin within said channel will be determined by the coin thickness.

4. A coin and ticket receiver for fare collection devices comprising a receiver base, a hollow body member mounted thereon. a relatively large drop inlet at the upper portion of said body member for receiving a plurality of fares simultaneously, an inspection plate carried by said receiver base and underlying said body member, an inwardly extending, downwardly inclined bounce plate carried by the upper portion of said body member and extending partially thereacross, and an oppositely inclined impact plate carried by said receiver base and underlying said body member whereby descending coins are subjected to a double bounce and thereby separated before coming to rest on said inspection plate, the lower portion of said inspection plate extending outwardly from the body member in spaced relation to the adjacent side thereof, a transparent panel extending from the lower edge of said adjacent side in overlying relation to said outwardly extending inspection plate portion and forming therewith a wedge-shaped channel of decreasing height, the lower end of said channel being of less height than the thickness of a thin coin whereby the extent of movement of a coin within said channel will be determined by the coin thickness, said inspection plate being pivotally mounted to the receiver base.

5. A receiver as set forth in claim 4, further characterized in that the entrance height of said channel is less than the diameter of a small coin and that the pivotal mounting of the inspection plate is located behind said channel entrance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 226,158 Cary Apr. 6, 1880 486,111 Krepps Nov. 15, 1892 1,570,419 Wolkenhauer Ian. 19, 1926 1,853,815 Jackson Apr. 12, 1932 2,199,086 Weatherford Apr. 30, 1940 

